Bible Study # 39 August 8, 1989 Mr. John Ogwyn

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1 Bible Study # 39 August 8, 1989 Mr. John Ogwyn The Gospels and Acts Series Matthew 27:1 28:20; Mark 15:1 16:20; Luke 22:66 24:53; John 18:28 21:25 Everything has been building to this point to the events that culminated in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He came as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He was that final Passover Lamb that God provided. Last Bible study we went through the events of the final Passover supper that He observed with His disciples. We saw the events that culminated with His arrest and ended with Peter s denial. There is an important lesson that we are to gain from that. God ensured that Peter learned the lesson, and then he went on to serve God in powerful ways. When we rely on human strength, it will fail us and let us down at a crucial time. Peter felt that when the going got tough, he could handle things. Jesus had gone aside that evening and prayed. He went a little further and prayed fervently. His disciples dozed off and fell asleep. Jesus recognized the crucial nature of the events He was going to be going through. He saw the enormity of what lay ahead, more than anything ever. The disciples did not recognize how powerless they were. If they had, they would have found it a little bit easier to concentrate. There was an illusion of the suffering. Peter went through a bitter experience and recognized his own weakness. At a crucial time his strength failed, and he learned a crucial lesson. He learned the lesson to never depend on his own strength. Strength was something that came from above. John 18:28, Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium [which is the judgment hall]: and it was early. Now they did not enter the Praetorium, so they might not be defiled: but that they might eat the Passover. The members of the Sanhedrin did not go into the Judgment Hall to talk to Pilate. They didn t go in the Judgment Hall so as to not be defiled by coming into contact with Pilate. Many of the Jews observed the Passover on a different day than Jesus and His disciples who had observed it on the previous night. The members of the Sanhedrin and others had not observed it yet. We follow the practice of Jesus. Notice the hypocrisy of their thinking. It would be a terrible thing if they would come into contact with the Italian governor. They would be defiled and couldn t eat the Passover. They built up this attitude in their minds. Like Jesus told them, they strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Defilement originates in the heart and mind. Judas repents and hangs himself: Matthew 27:3-10 and Acts 1: Matthew 27:3-4, Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he regretted what he had done, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they said, What does that matter to us? That is your problem. Big deal! What do we care? What you did was a sin, but paying you was not a sin. They had paid the bribe and didn t feel guilty. Then they had a great discussion. Verse 5, Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple, and left, and went out and hung himself. Acts 1:18, (Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. He evidently hung himself in an out-of-theway place; the body hung, fell down and burst. If you put the two accounts together, you have the full story. Matthew tells us how it started; Luke tells us how it ended. Matthew 27:6, And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, saying, It is not lawful to put these coins into the treasury, since it is the price of blood. We used this to cause a man to be betrayed and murdered. We can t put it back in the temple treasury. Verse 7, After taking counsel, they bought the potter s field with those coins, for a burying ground for strangers. They bought a parcel of ground and used it for a cemetery. Jesus condemned before Pilate: Matthew 27:11-14, Mark 15:2-5, Luke 23:2-4 and John 18: Luke 23:4, Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitude, I find no fault, nothing to condemn, in this man. Pilate found Him innocent. This Man hasn t done anything. Verse 5, But they were indignantly insistent, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout the entirety of Judaea, beginning from Galilee even to here. This mob was agitated. He has stirred up the whole nation. He started in Galilee. 39-1

2 Verse 6, But Pilate, when he heard Galilee mentioned, asked whether the Man were a Galilean. When Pilate heard this, he thought he was going to get off the hook. Verse 7, And after finding out that He was from Herod s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also at Jerusalem at that same time. He said, That should be Herod s jurisdiction. Pilate was a politician, and they had been doing that for years. He wanted to pass the buck to Herod. Verse 8, When Herod saw Jesus, he was extremely pleased: for he had been wishing for a long time to see Him, because he had been hearing so many things about Him; and he was hoping to see some miracle or sign performed by Him. Herod heard about Jesus and was really excited. He had heard about all these miracles and had never seen a miracle. Verses 9-11, And he questioned Him with many words; but Jesus answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes stood and vehemently accused Him, and Herod and his troops were arrogantly insulting and ridiculing Him. And after mocking Him, they put a gorgeous robe on Him, and sent Him back to Pilate. When Herod didn t see any miracles, he let his troops abuse Him and sent Him back to Pilate. Here was a man who had an obligation to enforce justice, but he didn t want to make waves. If he could pass the buck, he would. Pilate finds Jesus innocent: Luke 23:13-15 and John 18: John 18:31, Then Pilate said to them, You take Him, and judge Him according to your own law. But the Jews answered him, We are not permitted to put anyone to death They didn t want to do that. They wanted Him taken out and executed. They wanted a horrible death for this One whom they hated. Pilate spoke to Jesus in a little more detail. Verses 33-36, Then Pilate entered the Praetorium [the judgment hall] again, and called Jesus, and asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Are you asking this of your own self, or did others tell you this about Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own people and the chief priests have delivered You up to me. What did You do? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight, that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But now My kingdom is not from this world and society. Christ and His disciples did not get involved in the politics of this world. He came as an emissary of a Kingdom to come; as His followers, we find ourselves in the same situation. Pilate releases Barabbas and crucifies Jesus: Matthew 27:15-23, Mark 15:6-14, Luke 23:16-23 and John 18: Matthew 27:18, Because He knew that through jealousy and envy they had arrested Him. Mark 15:7, And there was one called Barabbas, who was imprisoned with his confederates after making insurrection. And during the insurrection, he had committed murder. Luke 23:18, But they cried out in unison, yelling, Away with this Man, and release Barabbas to us! John 18:40, Then they all shouted again, saying, Not this One, but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber. Barabbas was the terrorist leader of his day. Pilate knew that through jealousy and envy they had arrested Jesus Christ. He knew that was what it was. He desired to turn Him loose. Matthew 27:24, When Pilate saw that nothing could be done to change their minds, but instead a riot was starting, he took water, and washed his hands in front of the multitude, proclaiming, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous Man. You must tend to it yourselves. He saw a riot was on the verge of starting. He was concerned about his own political future, not what was right and wrong. That is what is wrong with human government. They know what they should do and have some inclination to do it, but pressure is brought and they back down. He said, I am going to wash my hands of it. He thought he could wash away the guilt. Pilate set Barabbas free and sent Jesus to be crucified. They beat and scourged Jesus Christ. They brought Him out and were still demanding that He be crucified. Finally, Pilate caved in and they led Him away to be crucified. Soldiers lead Jesus away to be crucified: Matthew 27:31-33, Mark 15:20-22, Luke 23:26-31 and John 19: John 19:17, And carrying His own cross, He went out to the place called The Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha Matthew 27:31-33, And they led Him away to crucify Him. And as they were coming out, they found a man, a Cyrenian, named Simon; and they compelled him to carry His cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means, Place of a Skull He started out carrying His cross, but because of the brutal beating, He was unable to continue. 39-2

3 Simon of Cyrene carried the cross the rest of the way. Simon of Cyrene later came into the Church and his children are mentioned in Paul s epistles. We are not told if he knew anything about Jesus Christ. This had quite an impact on him. Later his family is mentioned his sons, Alexander and Rufus, are mentioned in Mark 15:21. Title and accusation written on cross: Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38 and John 19: As we continue the account, we find there was a sign that was made. This is a good example of how the Bible interprets itself. Every writer gave a summary account. You give the information that impressed you. Matthew 27:37, And above His head they put up His written accusation, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Mark 15:26, And the inscription of His accusation was written over Him, The King of the Jews. Luke 23:38, Now there was also an inscription written over Him in Greek and Latin and Hebrew, This is the King of the Jews. Luke tells us something Matthew and Mark didn t tell us. It was written in three languages. They summarized the title. John 19:19-21, And Pilate also wrote a title, and put it on the cross. It was written, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Then many of the Jews read this title: because the place where Jesus was crucified was close to the city (now it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin). Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews ; but rather, He claimed, I am King of the Jews. The Jews wanted to change the sign to that He claimed He was King of the Jews. Verse 22, Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. Enough is enough. This was a testimony written in languages that everybody present could read, a testimony any literate person in that area could read. Here was something that testified in each of those languages. Every account gives a little more detail that the others didn t give. That is how the Bible is written. Two thieves crucified with Jesus: Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:32-33 and John 19:18. Luke 23:33, And when they came to the place called a Skull, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right side, and one on the left. Matthew 27:38, At the same time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and another on the left hand. This tells us that He was placed in the midst of those. Jesus is mocked and reviled; darkness: Matthew 27:39-45, Mark 15:29-33 and Luke 23: Luke 23:35, And the people stood gawking. And the rulers were also sneering and ridiculing Him with them, saying, He saved others! Let Him save Himself, if this is the Christ, the chosen One of God! Matthew 27:44, And in the same way the robbers also, who were crucified together with Him, insulted and reproached Him. He said, robbers plural. Luke 23:39-40, Now one of the criminals who had been crucified blasphemed Him, saying, If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us! But the other one rebuked him, saying, Don t you even fear God, seeing that you are suffering the same condemnation? Luke tells us that one was joining in, but the other was not. Both said something at the beginning. But Luke says one continued to taunt; the other one rebuked the other. Don t you even fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation? You are going to be dead and face God in the judgment. Verse 41-42, And we truly are condemned justly; because we are receiving a due payment for what we did: but this Man did nothing wrong. And he said to Jesus, Remember me, Lord, when You are coming in Your kingdom. Note here the attitude of conversion. What does it take to be converted? Basically to repent of our sins and to believe the Gospel. The thief demonstrated this attitude of repentance. He said that he was getting what he had coming. He offered no excuses. He made no attempt to minimize what he had done. I am getting what I had coming. I have sinned. That is not the normal carnal approach. I have broken the law of God, and I am getting my just consequences. When you talk to anybody in prison, they always say they got a bum rap ; he is on appeal and everybody is against him. Talk to anyone in law enforcement. What we have here is something different. He acknowledged himself as a sinner. Did he have faith? Did he believe the Gospel? Here he was hanging there, a man whose life was ebbing away. He said, I know that You are going to come into Your Kingdom. I believe that You are the Messiah, the King, and that You are going to 39-3

4 establish that Kingdom. When You do, please remember me. Here was an act of faith. There s no evidence to the fact that Jesus was going to do anything except die. But he believed that this Man was Who He said He was. He believed that and he said, Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom. Verse 43, And Jesus said to him, Today I am truly telling you, you shall be with Me in Paradise. The punctuation has caused some misunderstanding. Today you will be with Me in Paradise. That is not what it said. The question is: did Jesus go to Paradise that day? Three days later He told Mary, Don t touch Me; I have not ascended to My Father (John 20:17). Ecclesiastes 9:5, the dead know nothing,. The thief did not expect to go to Paradise that day but when Christ came with His Kingdom. Perhaps he had heard the message that Christ preached. Here was Jesus who could see into the hearts of men, could see that this man had made a commitment and that he was prepared to stick with it. God looks on the heart. How long does a person have to be converted? Some people have misunderstood. How many Sabbaths do you have to keep? It is not a matter of that, but how many are you willing to keep? What are you willing to do? Repentance is a willingness to turn from the works of man. Our willingness to do those things is an evidence of repentance and a desire to do what God says but it is not our physically doing them. It is an important principle that we learn from this account. John 19:25-27, And standing near the cross of Jesus was His mother, and the sister of His mother, and Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. Therefore seeing His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, Jesus said to His mother, Woman, now this is your son! Then He told the disciple, See, this is your mother! And from that very hour the disciple took her into his own home. One of the last things He did was to ask John to take care of His mother. Here was Jesus still thinking of others at the last part of His life. He asked John to look after her. Jesus is forsaken, offered vinegar; spear thrust into His side; He dies; veil torn in two: Matthew 27:46-51, Mark 15:34-38, Luke 23:45-46 and John 19: Matthew 27:46, And about the ninth hour Jesus yelled out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani: That is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me. Verses 49-50, But the rest said, Let Him alone. Let us watch, and see if Elijah comes to save Him! And another took a spear, and thrust it into His side, and out came water and blood. And then Jesus yelled out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His Spirit. Luke 23:45-46, And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was ripped down the middle. And crying out with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, into Your hands, I commit My Spirit. And after saying these things, He died. John 19:34, Rather one of the soldiers had already pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water had gushed out! Matthew 27:51, And suddenly the veil of the temple was ripped in two from the top to the bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks split and cracked. There was an earthquake. The veil was torn in two. Previously, direct access to God the Father was not available. When Jesus died, the veil was torn in two to demonstrate that there was no longer a barrier. He had done away with what separated us from God the Father. We have direct access because our sins have been paid for. Verses 52-53, And the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints which had fallen asleep arose, and walked out of the tombs after His resurrection, and went into the Holy City, and appeared to many. There was a literal resurrection that occurred. The tombs opened. They did not come out of their graves until after Jesus was resurrected. They were resurrected to physical life. What happened to the saints? The same thing that happened to Lazarus eventually he died. These saints were resurrected to physical life. Evidently, they were people who were known in the community. The whole purpose was to witness to the resurrection. If someone appeared and said they were Abraham Lincoln, you wouldn t believe it. But if your next-door neighbor, whose funeral was last week, suddenly was resurrected, that would get your attention. These were people that when they were resurrected, it created a stir. They had probably heard the message. Some would be there for the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), receive the Holy Spirit and will be in the first resurrection. John 19:31, Then the Jews, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (because it was a preparation day, since that coming Sabbath was a great day, a holy day [the First Day of Unleavened Bread]) [NKJV, a high day ], requested of Pilate that their legs 39-4

5 might be broken, and their bodies taken away. They didn t want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath. But it didn t bother them to murder an innocent Man. They wanted to break their legs. When they were hanging and once the legs were broken, the pain was so excruciating; they couldn t push themselves up to get a breath every so often. They would die in a few minutes. He had a very gruesome death. They did not break Jesus legs because He was already dead. Verse 33, But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. They were not to break any bones of the Passover lamb. This was prophetic. Many of the women watch to the end: Matthew 27:55-56, Mark 15:40-41 and Luke 23: Matthew 27:55-56, And there were many women standing at a distance, looking on, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him. Among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Jesus died at three o clock in the afternoon. Body of Jesus laid in tomb: Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-55 and John 19: Matthew 27:57-58, And as evening approached, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, Joseph by name, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered to him. Luke 23:50-51, And then a man named Joseph, from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, being a counselor, and a good and righteous man, (He had not voted with the counsel, and did not approve of their actions,) who also himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. We are given a little more insight. Joseph had not voted with the Sanhedrin. He was a disciple, but he had concealed it. John 19:39, And also Nicodemus, who at the beginning had come to Jesus by night, came carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about one hundred pounds. They were evidently the two members of the counsel who had not gone along with it. They had been afraid to take a public stand before this. They had done what they had done quietly. They were men of wealth and importance, afraid of what people would think, but when it came down to the wire, they took a stand and made plain where they stood. When they saw what the leaders were doing, they couldn t go along with it. Mark 15:44-45, And Pilate was amazed, and wondered if He were already dead. And when he called the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead very long. And after he knew it from the centurion, he granted permission to Joseph to take the body. Pilate asked, Is He already dead? He sent a soldier to go and check; he came back and said, Yes, He is dead. Pilate then wrote a release for the body to be released to Joseph and Nicodemus. This was at sunset. Verse 46, And he had bought a linen cloth: and after taking Him down, he wrapped Him in the linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of a rock; then he rolled a stone to cover the entrance of the tomb. They took the body of Jesus and very quickly wound it with linen. They did what they could and buried it in a nearby tomb. They buried the body very quickly prior to sunset. We are given that account. Now let us notice the three days and three nights. Matthew 27:57, And as evening approached, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, Joseph a disciple of Jesus. Verses 59-60, And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb,. Let us see what happened. After Holy Day women buy and prepare spices: Mark 16:1 and Luke 23:56. Mark 16:1, And after the Sabbath was past [the first holy day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread], Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought aromatics and spices, that they might come and anoint Him. This tells us plainly it was after the Sabbath was past that they bought the spices to prepare Him. Luke 23:56, And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments [on the day following the holy day Sabbath], and on the [weekly] Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. Look at what Luke tells us. They prepared the spices and then rested on the Sabbath. How could they buy the spices after the Sabbath and prepare them before the Sabbath. The key to the mystery is made plain. John 19:31, Then the Jews, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (because it was a preparation day, since that coming Sabbath was a great day, a holy day [the First Day of Unleavened Bread]),. (NKJ, Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on 39-5

6 the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day),. It was the preparation day. The coming Sabbath was a high day a holy day, the First Day of Unleavened Bread that was an annual Sabbath. The preparation day on which Jesus was crucified was for an annual Sabbath, a high day. They prepared the spices and rested on the regular Sabbath. When you put it together, He was crucified on the preparation day of an annual Sabbath. After that holy day (the First Day of Unleavened Bread) had past, they purchased and prepared the spices and then rested on the (weekly) Sabbath day. Then early Sunday morning as soon as dawn began to break, they made their way out there to embalm the body. But when they got there, the tomb was opened. If you go through all the accounts, it becomes very plain. Women come to tomb early first day of week; Jesus already resurrected: Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:2-8, Luke 24:1-12 and John 20:1-10. Matthew 28:1, Now after the [two] Sabbaths [the first holy day during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the weekly Sabbath], as it was getting light toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. Mark 16:9, Now after Jesus had risen, early the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. He was already gone from the tomb on the first day of the week. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. John 20:1-2, But on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came very early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance of the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved [that was the way John referred to himself], and told them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him! She went and got Simon Peter and John. Verses 4-6, And the two ran together: but the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first. And stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen clothes lying there. However he did not enter. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen clothes lying there. When they got there, John, being cautious, stopped; Peter, not being cautious, rushed right on in. Let me point out something here in John 20. You have all heard of the shroud of Turin. It was a fraud and we knew it. The Turin was one garment. Verse 7, And the handkerchief, which had been upon His head, was not lying with the linen clothes, but was folded up and was lying in a place by itself. He was wrapped in two different things. There were two separate garments used to wrap His head and His body. The people who forged the garment back in the Middle Ages should have made two separate pieces. The selling of relics was a very popular and lucrative business. They should have made two different pieces. Peter and the others came and looked and went away. Mary came back. Verses 11-12, But Mary stood outside the entrance of the tomb, weeping. And as she was weeping, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And suddenly she saw two angels dressed in white. And they were sitting, one at the head, and one at the foot, where the body of Jesus had been laid. Verses 15-16, Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? But thinking that He was the gardener, she said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away! Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning around, she said to Him, Rabboni! That is to say, Teacher!' When He said it that way, she turned. Verse 17, Jesus told her, Do not even touch Me; because I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brethren, and tell them, I am ascending to My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God. Later on He did let the disciples touch Him (Matthew 28:9; John 20:27). But not until the wave sheaf, the first of the first fruits was offered in the temple. Matthew 28:11-15, And as they were leaving, some of the guards went into the city, and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. And the chief priests assembled with the elders; and after taking counsel, they gave the soldiers a large amount of money, instructing them To say [Say], His disciples came at night, and stole Him away while we were sleeping. And if this be heard by the governor, we will convince him, and you will have nothing to worry about. So they took the money, and did as they were instructed. And this report is widely circulated among the Jews to this day. The three days and three nights was a special witness to the priests. Remember when they asked for a sign? That sign was a special sign, in 39-6

7 a unique way, to the religious leaders of the day. Remember when He was buried. They had gone to Pilate saying that Jesus had been saying He was going to be resurrected and that the disciples were going to steal the body (Matthew 27:62-66). The soldiers were a witness to what happened, and the priests told them not to tell anybody. You tell everybody that you went to sleep, and if you get into trouble, we will get you out of it. But you need to spread this rumor. If you pay somebody to tell a lie, there are two people who know it is a lie and this was the situation here. It was a witness to them because they knew it was a lie. The disciples had trouble handling the event of the resurrection. Luke 24:10-11, Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the rest of the women with them, who told the apostles these things. But their report appeared to them like idle talk, and they did not believe them. They didn t really believe it. Verse 12, Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb; and as he leaned over to look in, he saw the linen clothes lying there alone; and he went away, wondering in himself at what had occurred. He wondered what happened. John 20:7, And the handkerchief, which had been upon His head, was not lying with the linen clothes, but was folded up and was lying in a place by itself. A very minor point Jesus took time to fold them up and put them away neatly. In the excitement of the moment, you would have wanted to just put them away. But it showed His character. Jesus was a neat person. He cleaned up after Himself. The ushers would have had an easy time to clean up if they came around where Jesus sat. Anywhere you went behind Him, you would find it very neat. He cleaned up after Himself and folded up His garment. If He thought it was important at a time like that, then we should do so, also. Jesus appeared there and began talking to them, and they couldn t believe it. Luke 24:31, And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. Then He disappeared before them. When they realized who He was and their eyes were opened, He disappeared. John 20:19, Then, it being evening on that same day, the first day of the week, when the doors had already been shut where the disciples were assembled, because they were afraid of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle of them, and said to them, Peace be to you! That scared them. Here they were in a locked room. Matthew 28:10, Then Jesus said unto them, Don t be afraid! Go tell My brethren that they must go into Galilee, and there they shall see Me. Luke 24:36-37, And as they were telling these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and told them, Peace be to you! But they were terrified and filled with fear, thinking that they were seeing a spirit. They thought they were seeing an apparition and were scared to death. Verse 38-39, And He asked them, Why are you disturbed, and why do these imaginations spring up in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. You can see that I AM! Handle Me, and see for yourselves; because a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. It is Me! I am here. You can touch Me. I have flesh and bones. It didn t say anything about blood. He showed them the wounds. They couldn t believe it. They had seen Him die and knew He was dead. It was like their whole world had been shattered. They couldn t fully accept what it was. Verse 41, But, while they were yet disbelieving for joy, and were wondering, He asked them, Do you have anything here to eat? Verses 44-45, Then He said to them, These are the very words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which have been written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me. Then He opened their understanding and comprehension, that they might understand the scriptures. He explained the scriptures to them. John 20:24-25, But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not present with them when Jesus came. Then the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I can see in His own hands the scars and holes of the nails, and put my own finger into the scars and holes of the nails, and put my own hand into His side, I will not believe; no, not ever! Eight days later they were assembled again. Thomas had been saying he wouldn t believe it until he could touch Him. Ever sounded off and said something? Verses 26-27, But after eight days His disciples were again assembled inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, after the doors had already been shut, and stood in the middle of them, and said, Peace be to you! Then He said to Thomas, Reach here with your own finger, and look at 39-7

8 My hands; and reach out with your own hand, and put it into My side: and do not be faithless and unbelieving, but believing and filled with faith! Jesus told Thomas to come and stick his hand here. Jesus knew what Thomas had said. Verses 28-29, Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God! Then Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed: blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed! Verses 30-31, Therefore, Jesus did many other signs also in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these have been written, that you may believe and have faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in and through His name. 1 Corinthians 15:4-7, details not given in the Gospels, And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain until this present day, but some are fallen asleep. After that, He was seen of James; then by all the apostles. Paul mentions He was seen by the twelve, and there were over 500 that saw Him at once. The disciples left Jerusalem and went to Galilee. John 21:1, After these things Jesus manifested and revealed Himself to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. And He manifested and revealed Himself this way They were at loose ends. He would appear and leave. They were having trouble putting things together. Verse 3, Then Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, We will go with you, too. They left, and immediately boarded the boat; and during that night they caught nothing. Peter was an impulsive sort. Verse 9, Therefore, when they came up on the shore, they saw a fire of coals burning, and fish lying on it, and bread. Verse 12, Jesus said to them, Come and dine. But none of the disciples ventured to ask Him, Who are You? knowing it was the Lord. They didn t quite know what to say. Verses 14-17, This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested and revealed to His disciples, after He had been resurrected from the dead. Therefore, when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I have deep personal affection for You. He said to him, Feed My lambs! He asked him again, a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I have deep personal affection for You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep. He asked him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, do you have deep personal affection for Me? Peter was grieved and hurt because He said to him the third time, Do you have deep personal affection for Me? and said to Him, Lord, You know and understand all things. You know that I have deep personal affection for You! Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep! This was in a spiritual sense. He went through this three times. It is connected to the fact that Peter had denied Him three times. He kept stressing, Feed My sheep. Verses 18-19, Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you dressed yourself, and walked wherever you desired. But when you become old, you shall hold out your hands, and someone else shall dress you, and take you where you do not desire. But He said this, signifying by what manner of death he would glorify God. And after He had spoken this, He said, Follow Me! What manner of death? The time would come when he would be taken against his will and be executed. Verses 20-21, Then as Peter turned around, he saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following him; who also had reclined on His chest at the supper, and had asked, Lord, who is it that is betraying You? As Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, Lord, what about this one? When Peter saw John, he asked, What is going to happen to him? All of this is going to happen to me. What about John, he is not going to get off scot-free, is he? Verse 22, Jesus said to him, If I desire that he remain alive until I come, what does it matter to you? Follow Me! Jesus answered, If I want him to remain alive until I come, it is none of your business. You follow Me! This is Jesus answer to all of us! When we look around and see what our neighbor is doing, we want to make sure that if we get it, everyone else does, too. You don t worry about him. That is between him and Me. You follow Me! What you need to do is follow Me. We have to follow Him. That is a statement to all of us. If you want to follow somebody, you have to keep your eyes on them. If we keep our eyes on Christ, then we don t have to worry about anybody else. 39-8

9 Christ s commission to the disciples: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:49-53 and Acts 1:8-11. The great commission is given in Matthew 28. Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came to them, and spoke to them, saying, All power and authority in heaven and earth has been delegated to Me. Go therefore, teaching and making disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things, whatever I have commanded you. And listen, I am with you always, every day, even until the completion of the age. Amen. Mark 16:15-16, And He commanded them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all the creation! He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; and he who disbelieves shall be condemned. Luke 24:49, And listen, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you: but you must remain in the city of Jerusalem, until you be clothed and imbued with power from on high. Wait here until you receive power from on high. You can t do it on your own. Acts 1:8-11, But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. We have an overview with the events that culminated with the resurrection. We have the events of Christ s life and His ministry. We see the fact that He truly came as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. He laid down His life for us. He triumphed over death; through that power we can triumph. We are going to continue on through the book of Acts and on through the New Testament Church in the book of Acts in the next Bible study. 39-9